this page is for Molly, Natalie F., Emma and Dana D.
I will do 13.3. Natalie F. and Emma, you should each do one chapter, too. Thanks, Molly, for doing two! :) -Dana D.
I Will do chapter 13.4 -Emma 13.3 Trade: The Source of Ghana's Wealth (Dana Dalrymple)
1) Ghana was located between North Africa and the southern forests of West Africa.
>Both areas wanted to trade
>Northern traders crossed the Sahara desert to trade salt, copper, and cowrie shells (used as money) for kola nuts, hides, leather goods, ivory, slaves, and gold with the southern forests.
>Ghana's location allowed it to control trans-Saharan trade. Traders had to pass through Ghana to go to and from the south. Those who passed through were forced to pay heavy taxes on their goods, making it rich.
2) The History of Trans-Saharan Trade
>Introduction of the Camel to the Sahara
-Brought to the Sahara in 300 C.E.
-Well suited to desert travel because:
-Can drink up to 25 gallons of water at a time
-Can travel several days without stopping
-Double rows of eyelashes and hairy ear openings that keeps out blowing sand
-Allowed traders to establish caravan routes across the Sahara
>Spread of Islam
-Muslims invaded Ghana's Empire in the seventh century, hoping to to convert West Africans to Islam and control West African trade.
-Ghana turned back the Muslims, yet many settled in West African towns and became Merchants.
>By the year 1000, Ghana's empire dominated trade routes between North Africa and West Africa.
3) The Journey South
>Ibn Battuta
-A Muslim historian and traveler
-Crossed the Sahara in a trade caravan. Kept account of his trip, showing what the treks were like.
-The accounts show that:
<Battuta's caravan started in Sijilmasa
<Battuta traveled from oasis to oasis
<His group walked until the sun was high in the sky (the afternoon), and rested until sundown.
<At one point, travelers had no water, so they killed some of their camels to drink the water stored in the animals stomachs.
<They stopped at Taghaza, a village where salt mines were located, and took a load of the salt. When they reached Walata, they transfered their camels, salt, and other goods to donkeys and porters (a person who is hired to carry loads).
<Contined south, passed through Ghana on their way to the markets on the Gulf if Guinea, located near the southern forests.
<The whole trip took about two months.
13.5 The Exchange of Goods (Molly Gibbons)
When Trade Caravans Entered Ghana:
1. Brought goods to Kumbi to sell
-weapons and tools
-cloth and leather goods
-cattle
-sheep
-honey
-wheat
-raisins
-ivory
-pearls
SLAVES (1 of the largest slave markets in West Africa)
-captured by raiders
- bought by Arabs, then sold to North Africans and Europeans
2. Go to trade with Wangarans
-river in the southern forests
-bartered (brought goods: wool, silk, cotton, dates, figs, grains, leather, salt)
specific ritual to trade
- spread out goods
- beat drum
- Wangarans come and leave gold dust
- enough gold=traders left, not enough=went away and waited for more
- went on until trade was complete (never met in person)
this way had 2 benefits
-did not matter about language
-Wangarans kept the location of their gold mines secret
13.6 The Decline of Ghana (Molly Gibbons)
Ghana's empire reached height @ 1000 C.E.
2 reasons for decline=war and loss of natural resource
*WAR
- 2nd half of 11th century Almoravids began attacking Ghana's empire
-1076 capture Kumbi
-king regained power in 1087, but empire broke apart
*LOSS OF NATURAL RESOURCE
-growing population=great stress on scarce resources (water,trees)
-trees cut down for iron-smelting furnaces
-water so scarce farmers could not successfully grow crops
-people were forced to leave
Ghana's disappearance=rise of new power, MALI (group of West Africans)
-empire reached from Atlantic Ocean to Niger River and souther forest to Sahara
-gained wealth through control of trade (especially in gold)
-leaders accepted Islam (Muslim faith grew even more influential in West Africa)
13.6 The Gold-Salt Trade By Emma Langenbacher
-Wangara : The Secret Source of Gold (Emma Langenbacher)
the Wangarans kept the location of their gold mines secret
Miners would give up their lives rather than reveal the secret
People in Muslim lands and Italy made coins from gold
Muslims also needed to purchase silk and porcelain from China, which would only except gold in exchange
Gold was plentiful in the forests south of Ghana
-Taghaza: A Village Built with Salt (Emma Langenbacher)
To West Africans salt was more precious than gold
craved salt
salt is an important part of a persons diet
When people and animals sweat they lose salt
People who live in areas with hot climates like West Africa sweat a lot and must replace the salt they lose
Salt also kept their food from spoiling and they could give salt to their cattle
salt was produced in two ways,evaporation and mining
People lived there for one reason: to mine and sell salt
-Ghana's System of Taxes (Emma Langenbacher)
traders paid taxes to Ghana on all the goods they carried through the empire
goods were taxed both when traders entered Ghana and when they left
1/6 ounce of gold for each load of salt that came into the kingdom from the north
1/3 ounce of gold for each load the traders took out of the kingdom
traders had to pay for carrying other types of goods
the taxes enriched Ghana's treasury
they helped pay for armies that protected the kingdom
they allowed the king to conquer other territories
traders benefited as well because Ghana protected the trade routes from bandits who might rob the caravans
I will do 13.3. Natalie F. and Emma, you should each do one chapter, too. Thanks, Molly, for doing two! :)
-Dana D.
I Will do chapter 13.4 -Emma
13.3 Trade: The Source of Ghana's Wealth (Dana Dalrymple)
1) Ghana was located between North Africa and the southern forests of West Africa.
>Both areas wanted to trade
>Northern traders crossed the Sahara desert to trade salt, copper, and cowrie shells (used as money) for kola nuts, hides, leather goods, ivory, slaves, and gold with the southern forests.
>Ghana's location allowed it to control trans-Saharan trade. Traders had to pass through Ghana to go to and from the south. Those who passed through were forced to pay heavy taxes on their goods, making it rich.
2) The History of Trans-Saharan Trade
>Introduction of the Camel to the Sahara
-Brought to the Sahara in 300 C.E.
-Well suited to desert travel because:
-Can drink up to 25 gallons of water at a time
-Can travel several days without stopping
-Double rows of eyelashes and hairy ear openings that keeps out blowing sand
-Allowed traders to establish caravan routes across the Sahara
>Spread of Islam
-Muslims invaded Ghana's Empire in the seventh century, hoping to to convert West Africans to Islam and control West African trade.
-Ghana turned back the Muslims, yet many settled in West African towns and became Merchants.
>By the year 1000, Ghana's empire dominated trade routes between North Africa and West Africa.
3) The Journey South
>Ibn Battuta
-A Muslim historian and traveler
-Crossed the Sahara in a trade caravan. Kept account of his trip, showing what the treks were like.
-The accounts show that:
<Battuta's caravan started in Sijilmasa
<Battuta traveled from oasis to oasis
<His group walked until the sun was high in the sky (the afternoon), and rested until sundown.
<At one point, travelers had no water, so they killed some of their camels to drink the water stored in the animals stomachs.
<They stopped at Taghaza, a village where salt mines were located, and took a load of the salt. When they reached Walata, they transfered their camels, salt, and other goods to donkeys and porters (a person who is hired to carry loads).
<Contined south, passed through Ghana on their way to the markets on the Gulf if Guinea, located near the southern forests.
<The whole trip took about two months.
13.5 The Exchange of Goods (Molly Gibbons)
When Trade Caravans Entered Ghana:
1. Brought goods to Kumbi to sell
-weapons and tools
-cloth and leather goods
-cattle
-sheep
-honey
-wheat
-raisins
-ivory
-pearls
- SLAVES (1 of the largest slave markets in West Africa)
-captured by raiders- bought by Arabs, then sold to North Africans and Europeans
2. Go to trade with Wangarans
-river in the southern forests
-bartered (brought goods: wool, silk, cotton, dates, figs, grains, leather, salt)
- specific ritual to trade
- spread out goods- beat drum
- Wangarans come and leave gold dust
- enough gold=traders left, not enough=went away and waited for more
- went on until trade was complete (never met in person)
- this way had 2 benefits
-did not matter about language-Wangarans kept the location of their gold mines secret
13.6 The Decline of Ghana (Molly Gibbons)
- Ghana's empire reached height @ 1000 C.E.
- 2 reasons for decline=war and loss of natural resource
*WAR- 2nd half of 11th century Almoravids began attacking Ghana's empire
-1076 capture Kumbi
-king regained power in 1087, but empire broke apart
*LOSS OF NATURAL RESOURCE
-growing population=great stress on scarce resources (water,trees)
-trees cut down for iron-smelting furnaces
-water so scarce farmers could not successfully grow crops
-people were forced to leave
- Ghana's disappearance=rise of new power, MALI (group of West Africans)
-empire reached from Atlantic Ocean to Niger River and souther forest to Sahara-gained wealth through control of trade (especially in gold)
-leaders accepted Islam (Muslim faith grew even more influential in West Africa)
13.6 The Gold-Salt Trade By Emma Langenbacher
-Wangara : The Secret Source of Gold (Emma Langenbacher)
-Taghaza: A Village Built with Salt (Emma Langenbacher)
-Ghana's System of Taxes (Emma Langenbacher)